Intercommunication
by Major-Ryan
Summary: The ship is having some intercommunication troubles.


**Intercommunication  
**

**By Major_Ryan**

Disclaimer: Paramount owns trek and my poor soul.

Summary: The ship is having some intercommunication problems.

**PWP story with a turbolift setting. NO BETA so don't cringe at the lack of techno knowledge, you have been warned.**

* * *

"Well I don't think we are getting out of here anytime soon."

Chakotay sighed as he eased himself onto the floor of the turbolift.

Kathryn grunted in frustration.

In direct contrast as her first officer had done, she took a seat opposite him on the floor. She lulled her head against the wall and closed her eyes, feeling the steady thumping of her heart in her chest. The dampening in the lift made the small space almost void of sound, she mentally made a note that the ship could be dead in space for all she knew and she wouldn't be able to do darn thing about it. Kathryn relaxed into the quiet, letting the silence envelop her mind to a calming meditation.

What were the chances of the transporters malfunctioning and the turbolift systems going down, taking out the communications as well. A million to one?

"Actually it's more common then that." Came his soft answer.

His statement was a sharp nudge to her revere and it snapped her out of her meditation. She opened her eyes and lowered her head to look at him. _How does he do that?_

"I beg your pardon?."

"The system failures, it's more common since some of the systems were converted to an Isolinear sub-processor."

"What do you mean?" she knotted her forehead in confusion.

"The two systems run on completely different processing methods." He stated flatly.

"As anyone with basic operation's training is aware of." She countered.

"Yes, but Voyager has both on board and they are frequently at odds with the information getting received and delivered."

"The response time" She answered.

Kathryn knew this was a issue that had yet to be resolved. B'Elanna was working on the interruptions with her team for the last few years, but the problem was put on the back burner constantly. Too many hostile encounters, resource missions and unknown phenomenon got in their way.

The Isolinear systems were a wonder technology in their hey day, working within a set pattern of tried and tested programing over several centuries. It could be said it was fool proof on it's own, but integrated into a living processor?

Isolinear sub-processors, processed by method rather then means and using the Bio Neural processor as the main, was asking the sub-processor to do something it wasn't designed for. Slowly it was crippling the ships systems, compromising efficiency.

"If we could find a way to get the gel packs to slow down the request for data receiving and adhere to the operating protocols of the Isolinear sub-processor, then the two of them would see eye to eye." .

"It won't work Kathryn" Chakotay stated.

Kathryn stared at him, her eyes hinting a challenge of wits and ideas.

Chakotay gave a small smile and unfolded his legs, stretching them along the floor. His legs were going numb from being crossed and he needed to stop the tingling sensation in his knees. The movement of his foot brushing across Kathryn's outer thigh made her jump at the sudden contact.

"Sorry" He apologized for startling her.

Kathryn observed his body posture had become relaxed, almost leisurely sprawled across the space where the floor and wall met. She stared at him as his eyes began to drift shut and his hands coming to rest comfortably in his lap.

He seemed so at peace considering their situation and she envied that about him. Stuck in a lift with any number of catastrophes that could happen and he was taking it all in his stride.

She took in a deep breath and let the dense air fill her lungs to full capacity before allowing the air to rush past her lips. It took a moment for her mind to register an invading scent, one she hadn't notice in the 3 hours they had been trapped. It was him. His rich signature now wafting through her senses and eliciting a involuntary moan. He smelled so good and her body responded to his scent as if was specifically created for her and her alone.

_Her face separated by a decimal as she brushed her lips across his stubbled jaw. Taking a sharp nip to his regrowth while running her hand down his strong chest. _The image was arousing, intoxicating causing a hitch in her breath. She sighed somewhat shaky.

His eyes still closed he arched his tattooed eyebrow in a question.

Blinking rapidly a few times to gain composure she replied in a jutted tone.

"Why do you say that?"

"The Isolinear processor is the issue here. Voyager was designed for Bio Neural interfacing, it's a living entity and was created to adapt to any unforeseeable situation. Up until now it's tried to include the Isolinear sub-processor into it's functions, but if the processor won't budge they'll keep butting heads."

"We'll just have to remove the gel packs and convert all systems to the chips then. It's a certifiable way to ensure we don't come across this issue again."

Chakotay sighed in exasperation.

"You know that's impossible Kathryn, not without full use of a Federation shipyard."

"We could certainly use one here" She muttered in jest.

"Yes...Well, unfortunately Starfleet didn't have inaccessibility in mind when they created Voyager, an oversight on their part. I guess they couldn't predict a kidnapping to the far reaches of the galaxy."

"No one could" She noted. Her response was meant to be factual, but it came out defensive.

Chakotay opened his eyes, adjusting to the light. He shifted up the wall and straightened his back to give her his full attention. He saw a flash of guilt pass her features and his heart sank at the thought that his remark stabbed her.

"Kathryn" He made a move to place his hand gently on her thigh and she shifted back. Confusion knotting his brow, he placed his hand back in his lap.

"If the chips are removed we leave ourselves vulnerable to bacterial or viral infections though. It's not an option, especially out here." She ignored his concern.

"That's true, but we dealt with it before we could do it again." he reassured her.

"Chakotay, I'm not after a band aid solution here and I don't particularly enjoy having this cloud hanging over our heads, keeping us from focusing on our goal. I need to know that we'll get home and that the crew will see there families again. It's a difficult goal to achieve when the very vessel that can ensure that outcome is fighting against itself."

Kathryn rubbed her forehead in frustration and exhaustion. Rolling her head from side to side, she vainly attempted to relieve the ache in her neck.

"Your neck?" Chakotay inquired as he shifted closer to her.

"Just a little sore, It will be fine once I start moving again." She lamented.

"Here let me" Chakotay gestured and made a move to rub her shoulders.

Kathryn tensed immediately and tried to dismiss him.

"No Commander I'm fine". She swatted away his hands halfheartedly, but he didn't back down.

Slowly his hands wound to each side of her shoulders, his fingers lightly tapping a melody across her skin. The sensation was sending ripples across her body and she felt the instant release of tension that had built up. It felt so good to be touched and caressed in this way. Kathryn liked the feeling of contact, it was one of the ways she communicated. Often caressing an arm of her crew members or an occupied chair. Words were direct, precise and efficient, but not comforting.

"You know it would be better if you turned around" He suggested

She shifted away from the turbolift wall and turned in her space, exposing her back to him. His legs either side of her now, she relaxed roaching her back and resting her arms on her crossed legs.

She didn't know why she let him be so forthright. Maybe it was the headache, maybe it was her telling herself that another hour had passed in this god forsaken shoebox, she didn't know. All she cared about at this very moment was his hands working on her muscles, alleviating her pain.

What she wouldn't give to throw protocol by the way side and ask him to be hers. Let them serve the remainder of their journey together as husband and wife. Such a twinkly thought that kept her warm at night. Thoughts of how they would live together, make breakfast for each other before duty. She could reprimand him for leaving his dirty pants on the bathroom floor and he could chastise her for staying late after her shifts had ended. Both would take one look at each other and immediately make up and of course she would get a massage just like the one she was receiving now, for good measure.

There was just that nasty protocol in the way. If it weren't for that, they could communicate with each other so much better. The fact that she wasn't permitted to tell him how she felt, left them with this lax communication. They could run a ship together, but they couldn't run their own lives. Protocol prevented them from doing so and lead to the awkwardness that surrounded them. It was delaying the crucial information that would let them both be satisfied and at peace with being stranded.

_Maybe we could just delete it? It would certainly stop the battle of "what rules to follow..._

The thought made her giggle.

Then realization hit her.

_That's it!_

"What's so funny" He asked , his bright smile hidden from her view.

Call it a momentary lack in censure or an overwhelming desire to turn in his embrace and have her way with him, Kathryn blurted out.

"Protocols"

Chakotay stomped dead in his ministrations. Tensing as the dreaded "no go" word registered in his brain.

"Kathryn?" He waited in absolute fear.

She turned her face to try and look at him.

"Did I tell you to stop?" she shrugged her shoulders to start his hands moving again.

Stunned, Chakotay took a second to process her request before he started kneading her kinks again. His smile growing wide as he enjoyed her blissfulness, but he still had his guard up.

It was a rare occasion when she let him into her volley and how he savored every minute of it, but he knew when the moment passed he would need to slap his armor across his heart. He loved her so much and he lived for this woman in his embrace.

"I was just thinking about protocols" She smiled.

"Umm?" his heart was thumping wildly in his chest.

"You said that the Bio Neural processor can adapt to the Isolinear processor to a certain extent, but the Isolinear processor protocols were preventing it from adapting or understanding the Bio neural data due to the time lapse?"

"Correct"

"Well why don't we just delete the protocols preventing the Isolinear processors from adapting?"

"They'll still be functioning the way they are intended too, but won't be limited to one set of commands. Clever Kathryn...Well done" He assured her.

His hands stopped massaging her back as he mentally tasked how he would carry out the solution.

"You've stopped again" She said.

"Sorry. Was just trying to figure out how to go about deleting the protocols." He chuckled.

Stroking her back he made his way down and rubbed the palm of his hands along her spine.

Kathryn moaned as yet another knot was worked out of her back.

He leaned into her space closing the distance between them and inhaling her distinguishable scent of lavender and coffee.

His lips were so close to the spot on her neck that drove her to madness, Kathryn couldn't help but react. Her nipples hardened as felt the warm breath caress across her, he was so close she thought she would ignite and burst into passion fulled flames.

Her skin turned to goose flesh, letting slip another moan. He was hitting the right spot on her back with his amazing hands. As if it had a mind of it's own, her hand wandered up to the back of his head, she laced her fingers through his hair. Turning her face towards his, their lips brushed past each other accidentally and they both tensed at the whispered contact.

She realized now that she was participating in her previous fantasy, as her lips brushed past his jaw. Inhaling his scent deeply as she placed a little nip along the skin, he smiled at her brazenness which she returned against his stubble. Unable to postpone the inevitable any longer she nudged the back of his head and pulled him into their first kiss.

It was sensual, needy and communicative, just how she wanted it to be. Pulling away from his swollen lips, she didn't dare take her eyes away from them. Kathryn decided to show him exactly how to erase those pesky protocols.

"Consider them deleted" She husked and claimed his lips once more.

THE END.


End file.
